Child of Death
by BarrelRacer13
Summary: a sad one-shot. Nico, Chiron, and Mr. D have been keeping a secert. and Annabeth is about to find out what it is. semi-Annabeth and Nico Romance  AaNr


**I thought of this when I read a story in school called something like….i dunno…I cant remember. But it was about some kid who had the flu and thought he was going to die. but this is different. And yes, this is a Nico and Annabeth pairing, though it will only be a one-shot and no real romance-y stuff.**

**Child of Death**

**Annabeth's POV**

The day started like any other. When I had woken up, I went over to the Hades cabin to wake up Nico (who I was currently dating…me and Percy didn't really work out that good). He was acting fine. nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing was different in his dark gaze, shaggy hair, and dark clothes. But at lunch, that changed. There was still no Hades table at the pavilion, so Nico could sit wherever he wanted. But today, he didn't show up at all to lunch. That was unlike him. Nico would eat all day if he could! And he would never miss pizza day! when lunch was over, I went to go find him. he was sitting on Zeus's Fist in the woods, paler then normal with his head in his hands.

"Whats wrong? You missed lunch." I stated, and he jumped. How had he not noticed me coming? I made sure to make a lot of noise while I was coming toward him.

"My head hurts." He complained.

"Then why don't you go take a nap? You'll feel better." I suggested. I had no idea how wrong I was.

"It's too loud by the cabins." He protested.

"No one but the Hypnos kids is by the cabins. And all they do is sleep."

"But that could change."

"Nico, come on. I'll walk you to your cabin."

He let out a defeated sigh, and slowly climbed off the rock. His eyes looked foggy and he was having trouble walking. I let him lean on my shoulders.

"Are you sure you only have a headache?" I asked.

"Well, my stomach hurts too." He admitted.

"You want to go to the infirmary?" I asked him.

"No. cabin is fine."

we walked in silence. I found this odd too. Usually Nico would have something to say. Some story he heard from a ghost or skeleton. But he said nothing. I figured it was only the fact he wasn't feeling well.

I left him alone in his cabin, while I went to the lake to find Thalia and Percy. For the rest of the day, I was kept busy. But as sun-down came, a strange uneasiness crept it's way over the camp. I knew the other campers felt it too, because they looked wearily around every now and then. Before dinner, Chiron pulled me off to the side.

"Do you know where Nico is?" he asked.

"Yeah. he wasn't feeling good so he went to lay down in his cabin."

"Why don't you go find him. it's almost dinner, and he has to eat." Chiron said. I nodded, and ran off toward the cabins. But as I got closer to the Hades cabin, I began to feel even more uneasy. When I opened the door, and was greeted by a gust of cold wind. The Greek fire on that burned on the torches that hung on the wall was burning out. I saw Nico's thin figure under the blankets of his bed.

"Nico?" something wasn't right. There were no groans, no moans, no snoring. I walked closer to him. his face was paler then before. It was a ghostly white.

"Nico?" I said his name louder, shaking him a bit. No response.

I pulled the blankets off him and waiting to see his chest rise and fall with each breath. Five minutes passed, and no movement. I began to panic. I put my head on his chest and tried to listen for a heart beat, while I kept my hand on his forehead. his skin was so cold.

"Nico?" my voice cracked as I tried to get him to move, groan, growl, whatever! I wanted-no, I NEEDED him to react!

"CHIRON!" I yelled as loud as I could. Maybe he could wake Nico up, or get him the infirmary, and the Apollo kids would fix him, and everything would be okay. the centaur cantered to the doorway and peeked in.

"What is it, Annabeth? You nearly made every kid in the camp jump!" he asked.

"He cant be dead…..tell me he's not dead!" I shook Nico harder, tears brimming my eyes.

"Dead?" Chiron walked in a little more, keeping his head down so he didn't hit it on anything. He took only one glance at Nico before shaking his head.

"Im sorry, Annabeth-"

"NO! no, he…he's not dead! He cant be!" I screamed at him, tears running freely down my face.

Percy and Thalia ran into to cabin, after hearing my screaming.

"Whats wrong?" Percy asked, running over to me and pulled me into his arms, in an attempt to comfort me.

"He cant be dead….he cant be…" I cried into Percy's shirt. I kept telling myself he wasn't dead, but I knew he was. why I was acting this way, I don't know. when Luke died I hadn't acted like this. but there had just been something about Nico, the dark gaze that held such sorrowful memories, the shaggy hair that blocked his eyes almost completely from view, the scars showing how much he had gone through in his life, that just drew me to him. the way he always seemed to understand how I felt, and what was going on.

Everything about him was what I fell in love with. It was stronger then when me and Percy were dating. Nico just had a hold over me, that kept me warm when I was cold, and safe when I was afraid.

I stared at his limp, unmoving body through blurry eyes.

"Percy, Thalia, stay with Annabeth. I will go have a burial shroud made." Chiron said saddly, before turning tail and walking away.

CHIRON'S POV

I found Dionysus sitting on the porch.

"'Bout time you got back. We were only half way through our game!" he called to me.

"Cancel the game. There's a shroud to be burned." I sighed. he looked at me.

"Hades son?" he asked.

"Yes." We both knew this day was coming, but we didn't want it to happen so soon. And we knew why he died too.

"Hades has been restless lately, but wouldn't tell anyone why. I think I know why now."

ANNABETH'S POV

The flames of the campfire were grey. Some kids had been happy that Nico had died. But most of them were sad. Because he had no cabin mates, me, Percy, and Thalia were to put him in the shroud and lower him into the flames. He was so light, so cold, so very thin. I could've sworn I saw him smile as we lowered him into the shroud.

His shroud was jet black with skulls and cross bones. As we closed it, I felt more tears fall down my face, and the fell onto the skulls, leaving small wet spots.

Everyone fell silent as me, Percy, and Thalia lowered the shroud into the flames. All I saw was my whole world crashing down in front of me, in a burst of smoke and bones. The flames lapped hungrily at it, as if they were itching to take Nico away from me forever, and never give him back. I cried into Percy's shirt for the second time that day.

I couldn't have be happier to still have a friend like him. no, he was more like a brother.

….

MIDNIGHT- ZEUS'S FIST

ANNABETH'S POV

I hadn't gone back to my cabin like everyone else had. I wanted time alone, to let the shock of losing Nico settle in. so I had wandered in the woods, the monsters and nymphs leaving me alone. I had settled down on Zeus's Fist, and just lay there starring up at the stars, wondering what Nico was doing in the Underworld. _Probably spending time with his sister…_I thought. I knew how much he missed her.

I had heard him in the forest when he found out she died, how he had yelled and cried and just fell apart. I've seen him cry alone in the shadows, and I've seen him cry himself to sleep at night, or lay awake til morning, with his blankets pulled all the way up to his eyes as if he was afraid. But I wasn't stalking him, he would just leave his door open sometimes, and he's told me.

I saw something shimmer of to the side of my vision, and when I turned my head, I saw a face I knew all too well. I knew he was ghost, but still. It was _Nico_. Even if I couldn't hug him or anything because he would fade away, I still felt overwhelmed with joy.

"Nico…." I chocked.

"Annabeth." His voice was soft, and free of all the depression and sorrow it had been filled with when he was alive. It seemed like the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Why….why did you die?" I felt like a five year old asking their….father….why people die.

"I was sick. When I first got to camp, after the hunters and a few campers went to go save you and Artemis, I got a high fever, and after that, I was too weak to move. The Apollo kids did what the could, but they didn't know what was wrong with me. then Apollo himself came, at first to see his kids, but then he ended up trying to find out what was wrong with me. he tried everything, but no matter what he did, I wouldn't get better. Finally, when only me, Chiron, Mr. D, and Apollo were in the infirmary, Apollo told us that I had some nameless disease that had no cure and would end up killing me. he said it was beyond the power of the gods to fix. I was scared. I made Mr. D and Chiron promise not to tell anyone. Then, at least once a month, I would start to feel a pain. And it was the disease, and I knew it. there were some nights where I would lay there in too much to move, and just cry, waiting for it to end, waiting to die. ask Chiron about it. he'll tell you." He explained.

"A disease? Why didn't you tell me! I could've tried to find something to cure it-"

"Annabeth, stop. There was no stopping it." he interrupted me, floating/sitting on a rock next to me.

"You knew you were going to die today, didn't you?" it wasn't a question. I looked down, trying to hide my hurt.

"Yes. I knew that when I woke up, that I wouldn't last 'til dinner. But I didn't want you around when I died. If you were there, I would've killed you. I knew I was going to be so much pain that I would try to hurt people, so I tired myself to my bed with rope, so that when the pain came, I wouldn't hurt anyone. 'cause if I hurt you, I would NEVER be able to forgive myself." he looked down too.

"That why you didn't want to go to the infirmary."

He only nodded.

"I cant stay long, because im not supposed to be doing this. Bianca covering for me, and we'll both get in trouble if Hades catches us." I heard him chuckle a little. "But know this: I love you, and I'll save you a spot in Elysium."

"You made it to Elysium?" I asked, looking up as his pale face.

"Yeah."

"Are you going for a second chance?" I was kinda hoping he was, so I could stay with him.

"No. Im sorry, but I've been away from Bianca for too long. And…I don't want to be in anymore pain, or having to watch friends die, and feeling the pain I get when they die. and I need something to look forward to in life. And that's waiting for you. But don't rush, really. People who go suicidal go to Fields of Punishment for being stupid enough to try that. And I don't mind waiting-"

Bianca shimmered up next to him.

"Hi Annabeth." She waved, then turned toward her brother. "Hurry up! Dad's catching on! You're going to get us in trouble again, like with Mr. Thorn at Westhall!"

"That wasn't my fault, it was Joe's! he was the one who started it!"

"Stop making up excuses! And come on! Bye Annabeth!" Bianca waved friendlily at me, and began to pull on Nico's arm.

"Bye Annabeth!" he said, before being dragged away by his sister. I could hear his laughs fading away through the woods, and didn't feel as upset as I did earlier.

….

THE BIG HOUSE- PORCH

CHIRON'S POV

I sighed as I looked out toward the woods. I knew Annabeth had wandered in there, and I knew Nico had broke Hades' laws and went to visit her. I saw two ghostly figures zipping through the trees until they flew into a shadow and disappeared.

He had died of the disease Apollo diagnosed him with a few years ago. I still remembered one night, not to long ago, when Nico had come into the Big House around ten o clock, in tears because of much pain he had been in. all month, the attacks –as we had been calling them- had became more and more frequent, and much more painful for him. we knew it was this month that he was going to pass away. I just hoped that I had been wrong.

But I remembered one day perfectly. It was only a week ago, at ten at night, when I had been playing Go Fish with Dionysus. I heard a sniffling, and saw Nico walking up the stairs, both hands gripping his mid-section, tears running down his face, and his eyes glazed with pain. He told me he felt like he was being stabbed by countless swords covered in poison, and his head was being crushed from the inside by Atlas, and he felt like he was on fire. His temperature had been 110. I don't know how he had survived such a high temperature. I let him stay in the Big House that night. Mr. D didn't mind, because believe it or not, he enjoyed the kids here. Mainly Nico because he honored the kids bravery. Being able to raise the dead and not having any family, coming to a camp with his sister only to have his sister die. and all the other things Nico had done, but hadn't gotten any credit for. but that night, I stayed up with the young demigod. I tried to get him to throw up, because that would ease a pain a little, but he couldn't. I tried herbs, water, nectar, ambrosia, everything I could think of. i tried getting Apollo to come, but he was busy.

I felt so bad for Nico. Being a son of Hades, he was avoided by so many people, he had no family left, his only friends were Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth, and he had a deadly disease that was killing him slowly from the inside.

But the morning after he had stayed the night in the Big House, his temperature dropped to 85. then by lunch, it bounced back up to 98, and the pain was gone. For the most part. He had pain all month, but not bad enough to complain about it.

But yesterday, the day before he died, he told me what was going to happen. His exact words were, _"Tomorrow will be the last day I have to deal with this pain. Then I'll be free of this life, and be able to rest in peace."_

**Yes, that was sad. I write a lot of sad stories….and if you ever read my Invader Zim stories, you'll know that I often have stories where someone dies, or comes close to it. I don't know why, I just write things like this.**

**And they often focus on my favorite characters. In this case, it was all focused on Nico. **

**Don't ask why, I just write stories where one of the most loved characters die. but at least he made it to Elysium! **


End file.
